Belt and Road Initiative Forum

June 21 , 2017 09：06 PM by

Visits

On June 21, 2017, “China’s Role in International Relations: Belt and Road Initiative Forum”, jointly organized by the School of International Studies, Peking University, together with Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), Pangoal Institution and Institute for China-US People-to-People Exchange, Peking University, was held in the Lakeview Hotel. Nearly 20 guests, including former presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers of countries along the Belt and Road as well as Chinese experts and scholars attended the forum and held discussions on related topics. After two days’ exchange of views, the forum has expanded the consensus of Chinese and foreign scholars on the purpose, process, connotation and implementation method of the Belt and Road, promoted the understanding and support of the countries along the Belt and Road for the Belt and Road Initiative, and further expanded the international influence of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Wang Jie met with Vaira Vike-Freiberga

The opening ceremony was held on the morning of June 21, presided over by Fan Shiming, Associate Dean of the School of International Studies, Peking University. Wang Jie, Vice President of Peking University, made an opening speech. Under the guidance of the spirit of the “Belt and Road” Forum for International Cooperation held in May and the spirit of responsibility of Peking University in implementing the “Belt and Road” Initiative, Wang Jie summarized the outstanding efforts made by the University in promoting basic researches and intellectual support in countries along the “Belt and Road” in the past two years. Wang Jie encouraged scholars to speak out freely and brainstorm to make this forum an academic feast for expanding consensus and generating knowledge. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former President of Latvia and Co-chair of NGIC, expressed her appreciation for the spirit of equality and mutual respect among countries embodied in the “Belt and Road” and her expectation for the new mechanisms and concepts generated by the “Belt and Road” in the future. Yi Peng, President of Pangoal Institution, analyzed the changes in the global power structure caused by China’s rapid rise and its influences, and elucidated the new concepts and spirits in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Wang Jie delivers a speech

This forum has drawn great attention from heads of countries along the Belt and Road. At the opening ceremony, diplomatic envoys from Macedonia, Albania and Azerbaijan in China respectively read congratulatory letters from the presidents of the three countries for the forum. Then, Long Yongtu, Advisor of the Advisory Committee of Boao Forum for Asia and former Vice Minister of Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, delivered a keynote speech, in which he elaborated on the original intention of China’s “Belt and Road” Initiative to former foreign political leaders and interpreted the spirit of peace, mutual benefit, prosperity and sincerity upheld in the “Belt and Road” Initiative.

Long Yongtu delivered a keynote speech

From the afternoon of June 21 to the morning of June 22, the guests were divided into five groups for discussion.

The topic for Group 1 was “The future of international relations: China in the era of globalization”, and the discussion was chaired by Wang Dong, Executive Deputy Director of the Institute for China-US People-to-People Exchange, Peking University and Secretary-General of the Academic Committee of Pangoal Institution. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Huang Ping, Director General of Institute of European Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Science and President of Chinese Association of American Studies, Amre Moussa, former Foreign Minister of Egypt and former Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Fu Jun, Dean of Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, Peking University, Hikmet Cetin, former Minister of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Jan Fischer, former Prime Minister of Czech Republic, delivered speeches. The participants affirmed China’s achievements in economic development and globalization and offered new proposals on China’s global roles under the current circumstances, especially on questions about how to shape global soft power for China and how to balance the vision of reforming international institutions and the reconciliation of existing mechanisms.

The topic for Group 2 was “China’s role in the global economic system”, and the discussion was chaired by Professor Ding Yifan, Senior Research Fellow of the National Strategy Institute, Tsinghua University. Ismail Serageldin, Librarian of Library of Alexandria, Co-chair of NGIC and former Vice President of the World Bank, Huo Jianguo, Vice President of China Society for World Trade Organization Studies and former President of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Rexhep Meidani, former President of Albania, David Daokui Li, Dean of the Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University and Senior Advisor of Pangoal Institution, and Xu Hongcai, Deputy Chief Economist of China Center for International Economic Exchanges, delivered speeches. The participants discussed the impact of major technological changes in the current era on globalization, China’s response to trade protectionism, China’s participation in the reform of the international financial systems, the future trend of China’s economic development, and the role of Belt and Road in entrepreneurship and employment.

The topic for Group 3 was “China as a contributor to global security”, and the discussion was chaired by David Q. Pan, Executive Associate Dean of Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University. Boris Tadic, former President of Serbia, Major General Zhu Chenghu, Dean of International College of Defense Studies of National Defense University and Senior Advisor of Pangoal Institution, Rosen Plevneliev, former President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Zhang Tuosheng, Director of the Academic Committee of China Foundation For International Strategic Studies and Senior Advisor of Pangoal Institution, Djoomart Otorbaev, former Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, and Zlatko Lagumdzija, former Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, delivered speeches. The participants analyzed the current international situation and believed that problems in the development of globalization should be overcome with new methods. The greater the power of a country, the greater its responsibility in globalization. China is becoming an active promoter of global security because it has no aggressive gene in its traditional philosophical culture. China needs to focus on building its soft power in the international community, namely, making more countries willing to cooperate with China on security issues to ensure lasting peace.

The topic for Group 4 was “China in the era of interconnectivity: understanding the Belt and Road Initiative”, and the discussion was chaired by Pan Huaqiong, Director of the Center for Mediterranean Area Studies, Peking University and Associate Professor of the Department of History. Noeleen Heyzer, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Zhou Hong, Member of the Academic Division, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Deputy Director of the Academic Division of International Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and President of the Chinese Association for European Studies, Ivo Josipovic, former President of the Republic of Croatia, Professor Wang Yong, Director of Center for International Political Economy, Peking University, Ding Dou, Professor of School of International Studies, Peking University, and Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat, former President of Mongolia, delivered speeches. The participants believed that the concept of “interconnectivity” proposed by China is a new concept of global development, and that the previous development model was essentially serious wealth gap due to the capital flow of developed countries and even more serious recession after the financial crisis. The concept of “interconnectivity” proposed by China is conducive to achieving the balance among infrastructure construction, industrial modernization, balanced industrial distribution and balanced internal development of poor countries. This is a new development philosophy and form, but the current problem is how to integrate this new development form into future practice.

The topic for Group 5 was “China as a contributor to global governance”, and the discussion was chaired by Zlatko Lagumdzija, former Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Amitav Acharya, Chair Professor of American University and Senior Advisor of Pangoal Institution, Professor Zhang Haibin, Director of the Center for International Organization Studies, School of International Studies, Peking University, Valdis Zatlers, former President of Latvia, Wang Youqiang, Professor of School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, and Emil Constantinescu, former President of Romania, delivered speeches. The participants discussed the current international landscape, future trends, climate issues and global nuclear security in global governance, as well as some issues that China needs to overcome in its participation in global governance.

The closing ceremony was presided over by Fan Shiming. Ismail Serageldin, Bai Yunfeng, Deputy Director of the Academic Committe of Pangoal Institution, and Vaira Vike-Freiberga, made closing speeches. Ismail Serageldin reaffirmed China’s achievements in economic development and encouraged China to play a more active role in future global governance. In the closing speech, Bai Yunfeng introduced the development of the Pangoal Institution and proposed the vision to promote the studies of the Belt and Road. Vaira Vike-Freiberga affirmed the cultural changes in China and hoped that the “Belt and Road” Initiative could be a bridge promoting mutual understanding between China and the west in terms of culture.